Our Top 8 Tips for Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress for YOU!

05 Apr Our Top 8 Tips for Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress for YOU!

We know that shopping for your wedding dress come with a bit of a learning curve… After all, it’s not something you do every day! Because of that, we’re sharing our insider tips and tricks for how to choose the best stores for you, what to expect from your appointments, and how to make the most of your wedding dress experience. All of these are important steps for ultimately finding the perfect wedding dress for YOU!

Ready? Here we go!

Tip #1: It’s all about how you feel!

Trust us when we say you will look gorgeous in multiple different styles! If you’re simply looking for the dress that looks the best, you may never make a decision or you may end up with a dress that doesn’t feel like you at all! Of course you’ll look stunning in your dress, but you want to make sure you FEEL confident and like the most beautiful version of yourelf!

A good way to achieve this is to take some time because you even step in a store to brainstorm words that describe YOUR wedding day style. Are you a romantic, whimsical bride? Minimalistic and edgy? Boho chic? Modern day princess? All about comfort?

If you know how you want to feel and what types of styles fit your vision for your day, you can avoid overwhelming yourself with options (bridal burnout is reeeeaaaal, y’all) or confusing yourself by falling in love with a dress that doesn’t fit your vision!

Tip #2: Research before you shop.

Once you know how you want to feel, it’s time to do a little research! Do a Google search or ask friends for recommendations of their favorite bridal stores. Just like when you shop at regular retail stores, every bridal shop has its own vibe. A great way to get a feel for a store is to check out its website and Instagram account.

It’s also a good idea to call ahead and ask questions. If you’ve determined you’re looking for chic, sophisticated, and modern, don’t schedule an appointment at a store that mostly has romantic, whimsical gowns. Or if you’re a boho bride, don’t waste your time a a store whose collection is full of traditional dresses!

We’re found that, if you research stores prior to booking appointments, you can usually find the perfect dress for you at the first or second store you go to. If you book six appointments without asking any questions, chances are you won’t see much you love at several of the store. And, on top of that, you’ll feel the need to keep shopping and will find it difficult to commit to a dress (even if you love it!) because you have no idea what you might see at the next store!

Tip #3: Bring your closest people!

Don’t go shopping without the people whose opinions you need to make a decision. But also don’t bring a huge group and end up with more opinions that you truly need! We recommend keeping your guest count to 2-3 people.

Carefully consider who you trust to be supportive, not judgmental. You’re planning for the happiest day of your life… Just because you’re shopping for a very important article of clothing doesn’t give anyone free reign to be critical of your appearance or say things that could be hurtful!

Definitely bring people in your life who are honest with you, but also make you feel great when you’re around them!

Tip #4: Be prepared to say “Yes!”

We hear from brides all the time that they thought the process of finding their perfect dress would take months and they didn’t expect to see anything they loved when they first started shopping. But they’re often shocked to find that they fall in love with a dress during their first planned shopping day or even at the very first store! It’s more common to fall in love with a dress quickly and, if you’re not mentally prepared to say “Yes!” you could cause yourself a lot of heartache, especially at our store where we specialize in ready-to-wed designer sample dresses and only have one of each dress!

The goal is to find a dress you love and feel gorgeous wearing… If you’ve accomplished that, say “Yes!” and don’t look back! Once you have a dress you’re in love with, it’s time to celebrate and then move on to planning all the other details of your day!

Tip #5: Know your price point (and stick to it!)

It’s a good idea to create your wedding budget before you go to any bridal appointments.

Some brides think they’ll just be gathering ideas at their first few appointments and purposefully don’t set a firm budget. And sometimes it’s tempting to say a higher number that what you truly want to pay because you don’t want to limit what you can try on… But when happens when you fall head over heels in love with your dream gown only to sit down and crunch the numbers and find our it’s not possible for it to be yours??

To avoid comparing every dress you try to an ideal that’s out of reach (and then being disappointed by the dresses that are an option), set a realistic number and communicate it clearly to your consultant during your appointment!

You’ll save yourself from stressing and will be able to find a dress that feels like yours and can be yours!

Tip #6: Quality matters!

It can be tempting to sacrifice quality for a good price. Dresses with more fabric (like ballgowns), handmade fabrics (like lace), or lots of embellishment can be pricey. And one way to save on cost is to cut corners on quality.

The thing is, quality makes a HUGE difference in 1) how you’ll feel wearing your dress all day and 2) how your dress looks in pictures. Many brides don’t realize how much of a difference quality makes until after the wedding when they see their pictures and are disappointed.

To make sure you get the high-quality dress of your dreams, you could cut costs elsewhere. OR you could come shop here at Fabulous Frocks, where we specialize in designer sample gowns! Purchasing a sample gown is a great way to get a beautiful, designer-quality dress for wayyyy below it’s retail price!

Tip #7: Use your stylist as a resource!

In may boutiques, you’ll work one-on-one with a stylist during your appointment. Chances are, your stylist has worked with hundreds (if not thousands!) of brides. They now styles, fabrics, trends, and are familiar with how a particular dress will look when you have it on. Here at Fab Frocks, we work hard to make sure our stylists are super familiar with our collection and can help you find exactly what you’re looking for!

We’re not here to sell you something you don’t want to buy… We’re here to listen to your vision and find the perfect dress for YOU!

Use your appointment as a time to ask questions and clarify anything you don’t know about dress shopping! And trust the opinion of the experts around you because we’re on your team!

Tip #8: Have fun + trust yourself!

Being engaged is such a fun season in your life! Enjoy every moment of it! If you find yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, it’s important to take a step back and put things in perspective.

If you feel like you have too many options, you probably do. Don’t keep shopping and overwhelm yourself with more choices; instead, evaluate what you’ve already see to determine whether you might have already tried on the perfect dress!

If you have a really good gut reaction about a dress or find yourself saying you feel beautiful in it or even that you love it, pause and think about whether this could be the one! Don’t rush ahead in your mind to the next appointment. Instead, be present in the moment. If you feel incredible in a dress, do what’s right for you!

And keep in mind that, while it’s great to have the support of family and friends, it’s ultimately your dress and your moment! The right dress will feel like you and make you happy when you have it on!

Do you feel ready to start looking for the perfect dress? If you’ve checked out our website and Instagram and feel we’re the right store for you, we would LOVE to have you make an appointment to shop our collection! Call us at 678.489.3026.